Innocence
by Rosa Clearwater
Summary: For the "I'm about to Die!" Competition


Colin Creevey ran amongst the rush of people crowding the Great Hall. They were beginning to send off the kids who were underage, but he wasn't going to go away without a fight. In fact, he had no intention of leaving at all

"Professor McGonagall!" He cried, not having seen his former Head of House in over a year. She turned, having been explaining something or other to a group of Aurors, and almost shooed whoever wanted to speak with her away until she saw who it is was calling her. He smiled briefly for a moment, before realizing how much the war tolled on her this year from her appearance. She made an impatient sound, and he realized wasting valuable time speaking to her.

"Professor." He said, trying to contain his anger at being forced to not fight

"Yes, Mr. Creevey?" She asked

"I want to fight! I've been on the run for almost a year, and you need extra people in case you get overpowered by Lord Voldemort's army!" Harry was right fearing a name was stupid. Besides he'd be damned if he let himself be a coward and run off to safety. Voldemort was attacking his _home_! He stared into Professor's McGonagall eyes for a moment, seeing her ponder his request, and used that to continue on.

"I have been in more danger out of Hogwarts than in. I survived Muggle Killings, even when my father didn't. Let me fight!" Death was what followed Colin's family when they tried to escape Europe. They miserably failed and Colin's father was the price of it. He didn't like talking about it, but outright refused sympathy. Perhaps in the past he would want to cry his guts out, but not when the Wizarding world needed him to fight for them.

"Have you ever experienced Torture curse?" The quiet, almost murmured question was unexpected. Colin thought all he had to do was say a few words, convince McGonagall, and he would be able to join Harry and the others in the battle that was coming.

"No Professor, but—"

"Have you ever had to transfigure something to _kill_ someone?"

"No, but—"

"Then you are mistaken." She said regaining the voice she used for teaching, no longer using a sad almost pathetic murmur.

"And why is that?" They needed him! How dare they declare him not able to fight?

"You have not lived with the horror of death." Seeing him about to interrupt her, she motioned him to shut up and listen. "You've never had to deal with the horror of killing someone in cold blood. You should honor that. This battle is going to be scariest thing you'll live with. If you survive this. Go with the others Colin, and protect them so they do not have to deal with that."

"Yes Ma'am." Colin's voice was deceivingly quiet. Yes, he was giving what she said a thought, but they still needed him. And he was going to prove it. Suddenly Professor McGonagall had her attention directed elsewhere, and he was left alone, in a swarm of people arriving in the Great Hall.

They were walking rather quickly down the hall. Him and the other Gryffindors. Some of them looked defeated, some sad, some angry, and many upset. But Colin was different. On the outside he placed a mask of indifference, while inside he was bubbling with power. His _magic_ wanted him to fight, and his core was trembling with the excitement of finally being put to use. Sure he had been in fights before, but all them would be very brief compared to the battle he knew was about to happen.

Everyone else was past caring about his problems, worrying about escaping the wrath of the Death Eaters. And he used it to his advantage, quickly escaping the crowds until he was back with the others, the others fighting. Hermione and Ron paid him no attention as they rushed by, muttering something about a bathroom. Colin was in no mood to deal with their romances, as he carefully sneaked into the group of students and adults that were going to fight on the grounds.

"Mr. Creevey!" A sharp voice called and Colin froze. But it was not directed towards him as Professor McGonagall was seizing his brother Dennis by the ear and yanking him away from the people that were about to battle. He sighed in relief, worried that his brother would be foolish enough to try to stay back and fight. The people that were leaving to guard the grounds began to walk off being lead by Remus Lupin. He followed them, being careful not to be noticed by anyone who could drag him away.

Pearls of sweat were forming now on Colin's forehead. They clung to him, and he wiped them off with his hand, ignoring the cut on his arm that was falling into his eyes as he wiped the sweat off. His wand was out, and he cursed mentally, using every spell, jinx, and curse he knew verbally.

A cackle alerted him to a yellow jet of light sailing over.

"Impedimenta!" He called. The novice Death Eater was knocked off his feet and Colin grinned despite the situation. Suddenly he was chased by two Death Eaters and his heart started to pound as he fought. Jets of different lights were sent over to Colin but he managed to avoid them, somehow thinking of a rainbow. He got excited wanting to try a spell he made, and flicked his wand, casting a nonverbal charm. A sound of a camera clicking came into the air, and a bright flash of light blinded the two Death Eaters and used the Stunning Spell to get rid of them.

But all of his excitement was in vain as he battled another Death Eater, his energy beginning to slowly fall. It was getting harder and harder to fight without succumbing to tiredness, and the Death Eater knew it.

"Avada Kedavra!" In the final seconds of Colin Creevey's life, he wondered of what was next. And his last words were….

"Say Cheese."

He fell back, time slowing down as a wave of blackness filled his vision, hoping that he at least helped this War, that Harry Potter would in fact beat Lord Voldemort. And life finally left the eyes of a young over-excited little boy.


End file.
